Engaging freely doesn't mean engaging without roleplay, I'd argue with that from the lingual point of view. We should stick to simple statements in the ID, because "engaging freely" means pretty different things for different people. For me, it sounds like "can attack X and Y" (thus, without demands).
-The person violating the ...what ever ..knows they are violating it
-If they even stop, they -always- say "I didn't know," or even better, "What law?"
-Normally people try these violations in groups, while you're bickering with the 1st, their buddy inches closer to the base or just makes a flat out run for it
Warning shots, in this game, are about as effective as wiping your butt before you poop. Most transgressors never stop until their hull is about shredded and by then you're either dealing with 3 targets or their escorts holding back. For the three of you who stop and have a "chat" you are the exception, not the rule.
I've always try to have stopping points...in front of me. If you don't stop, if you don't listen, if you flat out ignore me, you're dead. If issues accelerates past a simple "Traffic" stop, this warning shot -stuff- is out the window.
Pirates, just the same, but reverse. They use the chat screen (because everyone Always does no matter what they say here) to know who's coming in the system. They know they are on borrowed time before the player they just robbed, gets in their battle ship and does everything under the sun to get their shields below 10% (now 50%) to open fire. If you get stopped by them, the extent of role play is 10milordie. (Which, in my brain was them saying in some accent 10-4 Mi'lordie. I'm dead serious.) Many pirates do actually try to roleplay but they do so when they have painfully vast numbers in their favor. I remember being faced down with 3 Gunboats and two bombers. Yea, they had all the time in the world to roleplay. Oddly and I'm going to say this, being a pirate with this rule is way easier than police with this rule. Police are rarely in groups while pirates get their metagaming plan in motion and group up. (Another thing about everyone does regardless of what is said here.)
If a person is willing to play the hand that is dealt them, there is never any need to fire a single shot. What convincing do you need from a pirate raiding party to stop or die? What more encouraging do you need when you haul contraband or are on a wanted list to surrender to the inspection or die?
This warning shot rule, at any percent, is never going to have its intended effect.
Sometimes, when all you want is to gain your freedom, you must be willing to risk it all.
Adam, warning shots are there for RP purposes. Perhaps your character doesn't really want to kill them and wants to make sure the other knows they mean business. Perhaps they're police and supposed to do that sort of thing. There may also be OORP things slapped into it but imo they serve as lesser motivation than the RP reasons.
Regardless it seems like you're using your post here to complain about another issue entirely. By the way, didn't you literally just come back? Who are you to be rattling off stereotypes and judging such broad groups? And no, the chat list is not metagaming. It's a perfectly valid and accepted tool.
(07-07-2015, 09:14 PM)Evo Wrote: Adam, warning shots are there for RP purposes. Perhaps your character doesn't really want to kill them and wants to make sure the other knows they mean business. Perhaps they're police and supposed to do that sort of thing. There may also be OORP things slapped into it but imo they serve as lesser motivation than the RP reasons.
Regardless it seems like you're using your post here to complain about another issue entirely. By the way, didn't you literally just come back? Who are you to be rattling off stereotypes and judging such broad groups? And no, the chat list is not metagaming. It's a perfectly valid and accepted tool.
Looks like I hit a nerve to get all these personal attacks.
The problem is that we do not have such thing as "Warning Shot" defined in rules,
In the other hand we have clarification that draining a shield below 50% IS considered as AN ATTACK
So IMHO if You really want to do "Warning Shots" keep in mind that draining shield
to 0 or below 50% is not wise since someone might fire back or simply send a sanction report
a specially if You do not give a proper time to respond.